Fasteners for closing flexible bags such as plastic food storage bags and the like are well known in the prior art. For example, twist-tie fasteners have for many years been used to close food bags to preserve food freshness or prevent garbage odors from escaping from trash bags.
A conventional twist-tie fastener 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. A first side of the fastener 10 is made of a non-metallic strip 11 such as paper and a second side is made of a non-metallic strip 12 such as plastic. The non-metallic strips are typically 4 to 10 inches long and approximately 5/16 inches wide. A small diameter wire 13 of the same length (4 to 10 inches) and typically having a diameter of 0.010 inches, is laminated between the two non-metallic strips 11 and 12.
When used to close the top opening of a flexible bag or the like, such as a bag containing a loaf of bread, the twist-tie fastener 10 is looped around the throat of the bag, resulting in the shape of the wire 13 being slightly deformed, and then the ends 14 and 15 of the twist tie 10 are twisted together, tightening the loop, thus closing the neck of the bag securely. In order to open the bag, the user must untwist the ends 14 and 15 of the twist tie 10, an oftentimes frustrating and time-consuming experience. For instance, the user is never quite sure whether the ends 14 and 15 had been twisted clockwise or counterclockwise when the bag was secured. This could result in the user inadvertently tightening the fastener closed on the bag when he or she means to open the bag.
Twisting ends 14 and 15 is also a difficult finger-dexterity function for older people or those with arthritis or finger-mobility disorders.
Also, if it is desired to re-use the conventional twist tie, by constant twisting and untwisting of the ends 14 and 15 of the tie 10, the shape of the wire 13 can become permanently deformed and even break, or the wire 13 can become separated from the strips 11 and 12, resulting in the tie being of no use as a fastener.
There remains a need for an inexpensive, reusable and easy to use fastener for flexible bags and the like.